


Baby, Won't You Save Me?

by hcwlingnights



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Domestic Violence, F/F, References to Revenge Porn, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, beronica, references to sexual abuse, veronicas not gonna let anyone hurt her betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-09-30 14:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10165361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hcwlingnights/pseuds/hcwlingnights
Summary: Everyone has a unique mark on their body from the time their born that corresponds with a mark on their soulmate's body. The problem is, sometimes it's a little hard to tell what your mark is, and that can lead to some confusion…orBetty's in an abusive relationship with Cheryl, whom she thinks is her soulmate, but when Veronica arrives everything changes for the better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love the idea of soulmate identifying marks, but I also love the idea that they're not always really well depicted, and what looks like something, may actually be something else. Also I'm just starving for some Beronica.

As a little girl, Betty Cooper had loved the idea of finding her soulmate. Every time she looked at the mark on her wrist - a twinkling, shiny object reflecting light in every direction - her heart would swell with the idea that one day she'd find the person who's mark would be in unison with hers. She'd watch her parents, sneaking peeks at their marks, a quill on her mother's wrist and an ink pot on her father's, whenever the opportunity arrived. She simply couldn't wait to find her soulmate.

Betty's fondness for soulmates ended the moment she met Cheryl Blossom, with her sun soul mark blazing away on her wrist. Nobody questioned it, not once. After all, the sun and a star, obviously their soul marks corresponded and they were meant to be. Cheryl certainly seemed open to the idea, and wasted no time in claiming Betty as her own. Since then Betty's never hated her soul mark more.

* * *

 

Veronica Lodge hated her father. Because of him, she and her mother had to pack up and move to middle of nowhere Riverdale where her mother grew up. No way was Veronica cut out for a lifestyle that was anything less than luxurious, her soul mark was a _tiara_ for God's sake, she was destined for a life that treated her like royalty. At least that's what she'd used to try to convince her mom that they should stay in New York. Hermione laughed in her face as she and Smithers loaded the car.

Now she was standing in Pop's diner, as her mother hugged Pop himself and started chatting away. The diner was at least half full, various patrons filling the booths, although most were teenagers. She made note of some redhead boy wearing a varsity jacket, sitting with another boy in a beanie that was scowling and holding his burger in a grip so protective it was like he thought everyone around him was an enemy trying to take it from him. Veronica's eyebrows furrowed together as she noticed their was three milkshakes on the table, and only the two boys seated there, although it was quite possible that beanie boy had ordered two.

"Excuse me." There voice behind Veronica caused her to jolt, whipping her head around to see who had spoken. The moment she did her breath hitched in her throat.

Before her was an angel, it had to be. A girl with startlingly clear blue eyes, pale skin and beautiful blond hair. She was tall, definitely taller than her, but her posture was hunched slightly, like she was trying to make herself smaller for some reason. Everything about her radiated gentleness, and Veronica was frozen in her beauty. That was until the girl blushed slightly and cleared her throat, glancing at her still blocked path, then back up to Veronica.

Instantly Veronica blushed as well, stumbling back a bit to clear the way. "Right, sure thing." She mumbled, heat rising in her cheeks. Never had she felt this flustered. She was the Ice Queen back in New York, and Ice Queens do not blush and babble just because some pretty girl was in their vicinity. Some gorgeous girl.

The gorgeous girl merely smiled graciously at her, before walking past her and to the both redhead and beanie boy occupied, sliding in on the end and sipping on her milkshake. Vanilla. The information was clearly irrelevant, but it stored itself away in Veronica's brain anyway. The gorgeous girl liked vanilla. It was then she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder, and heard her announcing that they should go and unpack, but she didn't really hear her. She was too busy just watching the blond sipping steadily on her shake, until her mother nudged her and gave her an odd look.

"Are you okay mija?" Hermione asked softly, following Veronica's gaze over to the girl. Once she saw who Veronica was looking at, she chuckled softly. "Ah, that's Betty Cooper. She looks just like her mother."

"Betty." Veronica repeated softly under her breath. So the angel had a name. She nodded, satisfied, and turned to leave with her mother when a furious looking redhead came barging through the door before they could exit. "Excuse you." Veronica scoffed, scowling at her, but it didn't seem the redhead even heard her. Her mother shook her head and headed out the door, but Veronica watched the redhead for a moment before leaving. She watched the red headed girl march over to the table Betty sat at, and watched her slap Betty straight across the face.

* * *

 

It had been a month since Veronica moved to Riverdale, and the nature of life had been explained to her. Mostly due to the fact a month ago she nearly tore Cheryl Blossom apart after watching her strike Betty in the diner. She'd been dragged off of her by Pop and her mother, while the red headed boy, whom she learned was Archie, and beanie boy, whom she'd learned was Jughead, restrained Cheryl who was spewing profanity and admittedly creative threats her way. 

Once she'd been calmed down it was explained to Veronica that Cheryl was Betty's soulmate. They found each other in the sixth grade, and have been dating since then. Cheryl's abuse disgusted everyone in the town, especially Jughead and Archie, but Betty refused to let anyone do anything about it. After all, Cheryl was her soulmate. It's not like she had much choice in the matter anyway. That didn't stop Veronica from doing everything in her power to keep it from happening as best she could.

She and Betty quickly became friends, and Veronica became the one woman Betty Cooper security detail. Hell she even joined the Riverdale Vixens to try to take some of Cheryl's heat off of Betty there as well. Betty had been apprehensive towards Veronica at first, which was to be expected, after all she had tried to attack her soulmate, but once she realized Veronica only had good intentions, the two were attached at the hip. Archie and Jughead warmed up to Veronica right away, as while the whole Cheryl assault had worried Betty, it made Veronica instantly alright in their books. The only person not so pleased by Veronica's presence was Cheryl.

The amount of time Betty spent with Veronica drove Cheryl crazy. Veronica around, defending Betty by snapping back at her with equal ferocity, it wasn't right. Betty was Cheryl's soulmate, and she should be able to treat her as she pleased. And she intended to make that clear.

* * *

 

Veronica rushed over to the intercom to answer Smithers' buzzing, about Betty's arrival no doubt. The girls were having a sleepover that night, to marathon the Star Wars movies after Betty found out that Veronica had never seen them. Veronica wasn't necessarily interested in watching them, but she'd do anything to make Betty happy.

"Miss Veronica, I have a Miss Betty Cooper here to see you." Smithers spoke through the intercom, a tightness to his voice that went undetected by Veronica.

"Send her on up Smithers! And for the record, you never need to ask if Betty's allowed up, she's always welcome." Veronica replied, practically glowing with excitement. She'd gone downtown and purchased a Chewbacca t-shirt and Death Star sweatpants to impress Betty earlier, and now couldn't wait to see her reaction.

"Sure thing Miss Veronica. But I feel that I should warn you - " Veronica didn't wait to hear what Smithers had to say, she was already rushing to her door to let Betty in. She wasn't prepared for what she faced.

Betty looked absolutely disheveled. Her bottom lip was split and bleeding, her right eye was blackened and quickly swelling shut, and from the redness in her left eye it was clear that she had been crying. Bloody scratches down one side of Betty's face showed that someone with very sharp nails had clawed at her as well. For a moment Veronica was just frozen there, unable to process what was in front of her. She'd never seen Betty hurt this badly. When Betty sniffled and shuffled her feet, it broke Veronica out of her trance.

"Betty…" Veronica stepped forwards, gently wrapping her arms around the taller girl. Betty's knees buckled once she was in Veronica's arms, and she allowed herself to collapse against Ronnie, trusting her to keep her safe as she broke down crying again. Veronica swiftly ushered her into the room, clutching to her like it was her duty and guiding her gingerly to the bed, all the while murmuring sweet nothings. She didn't have to ask who did this to her. Cheryl was going to pay for this, and nobody would be able to hold her back this time. "How could she do this to you?" She asked in a hushed voice, looking at Betty with softened eyes. 

Betty refused to meet her eyes. Her crying had slowed but her breath was still shaky, and she was trembling. It was pouring outside, and Veronica hadn't even realized that Betty was soaking wet. She quickly got to her feet to grab her a blanket, when Betty's hand shot out and latched on to her wrist. When Veronica looked back at her, she was met with fearful and panicked eyes. It broke her heart.

"I'm not leaving you, I'm just going to get you a blanket and some dry clothes." She explained in a hushed tone, and Betty nodded, releasing Veronica's hand with a blush. Veronica moved as quickly as she could, rushing into her closest and getting Betty the warmest, comfiest pajamas she had that would fit her, along with a fluffy blanket. She hurried back and handed her the clothes, before noticing Betty's blush. "Oh, right I'll just uh… I'll just step outside so you can change." Veronica muttered, blushing herself and stepping outside the room. She nearly collided with Smithers, who looked equally guilty as he did concerned.

"Smithers, were you eavesdropping?" Veronica asked, quirking an eyebrow curiously.

The older man immediately shook his head, although he did flush a little. "No I… well I know you're rather fond of Miss Betty and Mrs. Lodge tells me what a kind girl she is and I just… is she alright? Did someone do that to her?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned and even a bit cross at the thought of someone harming Betty. 

"Betty'll be fine… I hope so at least. And the person who did that to her has something coming to them that I doubt they expected." Veronica's growl following the last part of her response seemed to satisfy Smithers, as he smiled and nodded. 

"Well alright then. You take care of her, Miss Veronica. I can tell she's a good one." With that Smithers walked off, and Veronica reentered the room to find Betty had curled herself up in the blanket, watching the door for her return expectantly.

"I… I'm ready to explain what…" Betty started slowly, clearly nervous, and Veronica saw her curl her hand into a fist, nails digging into her palms. Quickly she walked over, unfurling the blonde's hands and taking them in her own instead. Betty seemed to relax from the gesture, sighing softly. "Cheryl thought I was cheating on her with you." She murmured out, casting her gaze to the floor. "She told me how we spend too much time together, and how dare I spend any time with you after what you did anyway…" Veronica bit her lip, hating the idea that Betty had gotten hurt from their friendship.

"Betty…" Veronica started to murmur, but Betty shook her head and cut her off.

"I told her that you were right to go after her when you first got here. Th-That she can't keep treating me like her punching bag, that th-that's not what soulmates are. That's when she really went off." Betty finished softly, tentatively touching her hand to her swollen eye and wincing. Veronica just stared at her for a moment, eyes shiny with unshed tears as she thought of the courage it must've taken Betty to stand up for herself like that. "I want my soulmate to be like what I wanted as a child. I-I want my soulmate to be someone who makes me happy, and feel safe, and warm inside and Goddammit V I want my soulmate to be you." Betty blurted out, looking at Veronica for her reaction.

Veronica wasted no time in kissing her. It was gentle, as she didn't want to injure Betty's split lip any further, but it was passionate, and when Betty made a soft sound of relief again her lips it made Veronica's heart soar. For what seemed like an eternity they stayed there, softly kissing each other in the safety of each other's arms, before Betty finally pulled away slowly. "What's your soul mark V? I don't think you ever showed me." Veronica quickly rolled up the sleeves of her robe and placed her wrist in Betty's lap for inspection. Betty gently took it, running her fingers along the elegant design. "A tiara. How fitting." She murmured, causing Veronica to chuckle, although the disappointment in her voice was obvious. A star and a tiara have nothing to do with each other. 

"You know I'm just destined to be queen." Veronica joked softly, coaxing a small laugh from Betty, before she frowned and pulled her wrist a little closer to her for a better look.

"Why is this space empty?" Betty asked, pointing to where the largest gem should be in the tiara. Evidently, the gem was missing from the crown. Veronica just shrugged. 

"I don't know, it just always has been. I figured my soulmate would have some kind of gem of some kind as their mark to complete it." As soon as the words left her lips, Veronica's gaze snapped to Betty's eyes, to find that Betty had already been staring at her wide eyed. Quickly Betty placed her wrist next to Veronica's, lining up their soul marks. Of course, Betty's mark was the perfect size to be the missing jewel to Veronica's crown. 

Both girls began laughing in disbelief, softly at first before breaking out into full on hysterics. Cheryl had never been Betty's soulmate. It was always, and always would be, Veronica.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momma Lodge learns about her baby's soulmate, Veronica learns just how badly Cheryl has hurt Betty, and Alice Cooper is a stark raving bitch as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I was originally going to leave this as a one chapter story, the more I started to think about it the more I wanted to add on to it, thus this chapter was born, and there will be at least one more chapter to come, maybe more.
> 
> While Veronica does not go batshit crazy on Cheryl this chapter, that's definitely coming next chapter, and Alice Cooper does get a taste of Veronica's protectiveness. Nobody hurts her Betty.

Hermione Lodge returned home from work to find that Veronica and Betty had migrated from the bedroom to the kitchen, both girls sitting on barstools with milkshakes in Pop's takeout cups in front of them. That would explain why Smithers had been in Pop's an hour earlier, looking like a man on a mission and ordering the shakes. She'd just assumed he was on a date, after all, the man had a soulmate of his own to find. Her daughter had her arm draped around Betty's shoulder, in a way that was both comforting and protective, clearly emitting the message that Betty was under her care, and that any messing with her was a risk on your life. Hermione didn't understand why the protective stance until the girls turned around to face her.

Hermione gasped, her hand flying up to her face and covering her mouth on instinct, tears prickling in her eyes. Even if Betty wasn't her daughter, some maternal instinct kicked into overdrive, seeing how battered her face was. The girl in question blushed a scarlet red, ducking her head slightly, and Veronica squeezed her shoulders slightly. "Who did this?" The growl that escaped Hermione's throat along with her question shocked herself, but neither girl seemed fazed. Apparently intensity had been the theme of the evening.

Betty and Veronica looked at each other and seemed to exchange words through their gaze, as Veronica nodded and Betty slowly stood.

"I'm going to head upstairs if that's alright… it's nice to see you Mrs. Lodge." Betty murmured, brushing past Hermione in pursuit of the stairs, however she was abruptly stoped when Hermione caught her arm. Instantly she tensed, and Veronica immediately stood from her seat, ready to pounce if need be, however Hermione merely pulled Betty into a tight hug. She may not know exactly what was going on yet, but she was a mother and she knew when a child was in need of a hug. It took Betty a moment to get over her shock, but she soon hugged back just as tightly, burying her face in Hermione's neck for a moment, before Hermione released her.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do for you dear." She said, as gently as she could muster, and Betty smiled graciously, nodding before continuing up the stairs. Hermione watched her to ensure she made it to the bedroom alright, before turning back to her daughter. "Tell me everything."

* * *

  
Retelling the events of the night to her mother was an emotional roller coaster. Veronica started with the obvious, explaining how Cheryl had attacked Betty, and instantly learning where she got her fire from as Hermione went off on a rant about how Cheryl needs to be taught a lesson on respecting her loved ones, which segued perfectly into Veronica's second point. From the way Hermione bounced and squealed with joy when Veronica told her she'd found her soulmate, and that it was the girl with a heart of gold upstairs, one would think Hermione was a child on Christmas morning. She hugged Veronica close, laughing happily and beaming from ear to ear.

"Mija I am so happy for you! Oh my God, fate couldn't have picked a better person for you." Hermione exclaimed, staring down at her daughter in her arms. She meant what she said, Betty and Veronica were perfect for each other. Veronica needed someone who would break down her icy exterior and bring out her gentle side, which is exactly what Betty has done. And Betty would never have to worry about being harmed again, as Hermione knew Veronica would rather break someone's ankles than to let her soulmate be hurt like that again. The girls completed each other.

Veronica couldn't help but smile at her mother's giddiness, however she kept casting looks towards the stairs, and it was obvious that she wanted to go check on Betty. Hermione noticed, and calmed down a bit, deciding to put her excitement away for another time. For now her daughter should be with her soulmate. "Go on, I know you want to check on her." She stated, nudging Veronica towards the stairs slightly. Veronica flushed as she realized how obviously she'd been sharing her thoughts, before kissing her mom on the cheek and rushing up to meet Betty in her bedroom.

* * *

  
"So I'm pretty sure you're officially a Lodge now and my mom is already planning our wedding." Veronica announced, chuckling to herself as she entered the bedroom. She couldn't have been more pleased with her mother's reaction to Betty's involvement in her life, and she had a feeling Betty would be pleased as well. That was until she noticed Betty was tentatively clutching her phone, that was ringing nonstop, and was as pale as a ghost. "Betty?" She questioned softly, walking over to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. Wordlessly, Betty tilted the screen towards Veronica so she could see the barrage of texts she was receiving from a certain devil spawned redhead.

It seemed that there were at least a hundred messages from Cheryl, demanding to know where Betty was. Betty had had the foresight not to tell Cheryl about her sleepover with Veronica that night, so her abusive ex was in the dark when it came to her whereabouts. The texts had a vast variety in tone, ranging from, "Baby I'm sorry, just come home so we can talk about this", to, "You ungrateful bitch, I'm your soulmate you can't fucking run away from me". Betty was trembling, rightfully so, and the panic she was experiencing was written all across her face. Swiftly, Veronica swiped the phone from Betty's hands, turned it off, and tossed it in a drawer.

"We can worry about that later B," she said, turning back to face the still nervous looking girl on her bed. Veronica crossed the room back over to Betty and sat down again, Betty curling up against her as soon as she did.

"I wish she'd just leave me alone." Betty admitted wistfully. "She's never loved me, why can't she just let me go?" It was never about love for Cheryl, and Betty knew that. For Cheryl, it was about having someone to control and manipulate, someone who had no choice but to listen to her and someone that had no way out. A part of Betty had always suspected Cheryl wasn't her soulmate, but she had no evidence to prove otherwise, so she just dealt with it. She shuddered at the realization that if Veronica hadn't moved to Riverdale, she'd still be trapped in that relationship, with no hope of ever getting out of it.

Feeling Betty shudder, Veronica looked down at her, and noticed how exhausted the girl look, both physically and mentally. "How about we just get some sleep and worry about it in the morning?" She suggested in a murmur, and Betty nodded in agreement. The girls wriggled their way under the covers, and wordlessly got comfy, Betty resting her head on Veronica's chest with her arm draped over her stomach, and Veronica with her arm around Betty, their legs tangled together. Veronica kissed Betty's forehead, coaxing a smile from the blonde, who turned her face upwards to look at her.

"What was that for?" She questioned, obviously okay with the gesture, but with curiosity tinged her voice. Veronica just laughed.

"Can't a girl kiss her soulmate goodnight without question?" She exclaimed, feigning exasperation and earning a giggle from her companion.

"Hey, there are no complaints from me." Betty assured her, reaching up and kissing Veronica's neck lightly. "As long as I get to as well." Veronica couldn't help the blush that found its way to her cheeks at just how good Betty's lips on her neck felt. She cleared her throat, and the act in its entirety sent Betty into body wracking laughter, that only caused Veronica to blush a deeper shade of red.

"Yeah yeah, yuck it up." She muttered, rolling her eyes as Betty's laughter slowly dissolved into a yawn, and she nestled up against Veronica once more.

"I love you."

"Sweet dreams."

* * *

_  
"Come on Betty, show them what you've got to offer. Don't be such a prude."_

_Cheryl had thrown a party at her house, and like all the other partygoers, was severely intoxicated. Booze never made Cheryl easier to deal with as one might have hoped, and instead led her to be even more agitated and bitchy than her sober self. Cheryl had been telling her guests just how "delectable Betty's tits are, so much so they make up for everything else about her body", and was trying to get Betty to "give them a taste". The guests, mostly male as Cheryl had invited the football team, minus Archie of course, and a select few of the Vixens, were leering at Betty with a gaze she could only describe as predatory._

_Feeling extraordinarily vulnerable under their gazes, and being the only remaining sober one in the group, Betty slowly shook her head. "Cheryl I don't really feel comfortable -" She never got a chance to finish before Cheryl let out a sound of clear disapproval, and practically lunged at her._

_"For God's sake I'll do it then." Faster than Betty could react, Cheryl had ripped open Betty's button down shirt, leaving her exposed in her pink bra. Instantly there were hollers and whistles from the men, along with lewd comments at Betty's expense. When she regained control of her body and turned a shade of red dark than cherries, Betty moved to cover herself with an arm, only to have in wrenched downwards painfully by Cheryl. Betty cried out, as her arm was twisted at a particularly dangerous angle, and yanked herself out of Cheryl's grasp before she really thought about the consequences that would fall upon her for doing so._

_Cheryl slapped her so hard it knocked her to the ground and left her ears ringing slightly, however she could still hear the laughter from the partygoers. Betty made the conscious decision to just stay on the ground, trying to keep her tears from rolling down her cheeks, and digging her nails into her palms to keep her emotions in check. After what felt like an eternity, the guests decided to leave to the kitchen for pizza, but Cheryl lagged behind in order to kneel down and yank Betty's ponytail to force her to look at her._

_"You're mine babe, so the sooner you understand that you do what I say, the easier it's going to be for you, understand Betty? Betty I said do you understand? Betty? Betty? **Betty!**_ "

* * *

  
"Betty, sweetheart wake up." Veronica was desperately shaking Betty, as she'd woken up to the girl screaming in her sleep and thrashing about restlessly. Normally being woken from her beauty sleep so violently would've annoyed Veronica, but something like this only struck cold fear into her heart. Finally Betty jolted upright with a small cry, looking around wildly for an enemy that clearly wasn't there. When she realized where she was, and what had happened, she broke down crying. Veronica held her close, and Betty clutched tightly to her girlfriend, murmuring apologies over and over again as she cried. All she could think about was how annoyed Veronica must be at being woken up this way, how annoyed she must be at having a soulmate as damaged as Betty was. She couldn't have been more wrong as Veronica gingerly stroked Betty's long blonde hair, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"Nobody is going to hurt you Betty. I won't let anyone hurt you again." Veronica could feel her heart break at every shudder that wracked Betty's body as she cried. She knew that Cheryl had abused Betty, but she wasn't aware of how deeply she'd hurt her. Her rage towards Cheryl reached a point that she was sure would lead to homicide, the only thought preventing her from murdering Cheryl was that if she couldn't spend time with Betty if she was serving life in jail. As Betty began to calm, her sobs quieting to sniffles, Veronica gently pulled back to look her in the eye.

"Ronnie I'm so sorry, if you want I can go sleep on the couch." Betty said quietly, ashamed at her pitiful she was, waking up Veronica and no doubt Mrs. Lodge and Smithers as well with her silly fears.

Veronica however looked appalled at the notion. "Elizabeth 'Betty' Cooper, there is no need for you to sleep on the couch. I don't care that you have nightmares, they don't bother me. All I need from you is for you to tell me how to help you feel more safe so you can get some rest." Betty couldn't bring herself to respond, couldn't process the words for a full minute, until she simply threw herself back into Veronica's arms, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you V."

* * *

  
"Mrs. Lodge, are you sure they're all right? Should I bring them some hot chocolate or something?" Smithers asked for what must've been the hundredth time, wringing his hands together nervously as Hermione kept her ear pressed against the door. They'd both been awoken by Betty's screaming, but remained outside out of respect for the girl's struggles.

After being satisfied as she heard both the girls' breath even out in a sleeping manner, Hermione pulled herself away from the door and shook her head. "They're fine Smithers. Let's just let them rest."

Smithers nodded, although he did still look slightly concerned. "Whatever you say ma'am."

* * *

  
Waking up to Betty's screams in the middle of the night was startling enough, but waking up to the doorbell being rung repeatedly over and over was just downright annoying, and Veronica groaned as she opened her eyes to find herself pinned down by Betty, her waist incapsulated by her arms and the blonde beauty still sleeping calmly despite the ruckus. Slowly and carefully Veronica untangled herself from her soulmate, smiling through the whole ordeal, before heading downstairs to see who dared to wake her before 8:00 am on a weekend.

Being greeted with the sounds of her mother arguing passionately back and forth with a fuming Alice Cooper made her question why she bothered leaving the comfort of Betty's arms and her warm bed for this mess.

As Alice caught sight of Veronica, her eyes narrowed. "You." Her voice was dripping with venom, and she pointed an accusing finger at her. "Where is my daughter, I know she's here! Her _soulmate_ called me worried sick and begging me to come and get Betty from here."

Veronica couldn't help but laugh humorlessly at the notion of Cheryl being, A) worried for Betty's well being, and, B) being Betty's soulmate. "Your daughter is upstairs resting, as Cheryl beat the living hell out of her last night." She spat back, matching Alice's venom in her own words.

"Betty probably had it coming."

Those five words made Veronica's blood run cold. "What the fuck did you just say to me?" She asked in disbelief.

Alice scoffed and straightened her posture, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I said, Betty probably had it coming. She never appreciates Cheryl like she should, she doesn't understand how a soulmate is supposed to act around their partner. Whatever Cheryl did to Betty she probably did rightfully." Both Lodge women reached out and slapped Alice Cooper before they could stop themselves, landing a hit on either of her cheeks.

"Don't you ever, ever talk that way about _my_ soulmate again, do you hear me? Betty is a kindhearted, generous, intelligent woman and I don't want to ever hear you speak negatively about her that way again, do you hear me?" Veronica found herself screeching the words before it really occurred to her that she was shouting at a middle aged woman. Her mother didn't seem to mind though, as she stood to the side picking at her nails and letting her daughter wipe the floor with Alice Cooper.

Alice just stood there sputtering, clearly shocked at the entire altercation, before recomposing herself. "You tell Elizabeth not to bother coming home." She snarled, before whirling around and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

Veronica felt her knees buckle once the God awful woman was gone, and felt her mother catch her. "I'm proud of you mija. A woman like that doesn't deserve a girl as wonderful as Betty as her daughter." Hermione murmured, and while Veronica agreed, she could see Betty standing on the landing upstairs over her mother's shoulder, guilt and disappointment covering her face. She'd witnessed the entire thing.

When Betty noticed Veronica watching however, she mustered a smile. "I hope you're not getting sick of me, I guess I'm staying here for a while." She said softly, trying for a joke with a blush and a sheepish smile. It was just gentle enough to do the work, as Veronica and Hermione began laughing, Hermione waving both girls to the kitchen where she had breakfast being made.

Who knew being soulmates was so damn difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, I don't know how long I'm going to make this story, but it will have at least one more chapter.
> 
> If anyone has any ideas or suggestion, feel free to leave a comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty gets situated at the Lodge residence, Alice continues her quest to be the world's biggest bitch, and Veronica and Cheryl go head-to-head

Bacon, while delicious and most likely a gift from God above, unfortunately could not fix everything. Veronica watched as Betty pushed the food around on her plate, clearly lost in thought with eating breakfast the last priority on her mind. As she watched she noticed how Betty's right eye had completely swollen shut and was now a deep purple, how the scratch marks down her face had begun to scab over, and how her split lip was slowly mending herself. Despite her looking like hell, Veronica was still awestricken by the girl's beauty. She only wished she didn't look so defeated in the moment. Suddenly Betty seemed to snap out of her trance, taking a breath and looking up from her plate to Hermione and Veronica.

"If it's too much trouble for me to stay here, just let me know, I-I can rent a motel room or something." Betty said softly, biting her lip. It didn't seem fair to her, that because of her mother's intolerant behavior the Lodges would now have to look after her. Just because she was Veronica's soulmate (the thought still made her heart flutter even if her mind was bogged down by the problems ahead) it didn't make the Lodges responsible for her welfare. She didn't want to cause them any struggle or bother.

Hermione made a noise in the back of her throat as though Betty had just suggested they take a trip to the moon. "Are you kidding me? Honey I'm not going to have you stay at some motel when you could, and should, be staying here with us. You're family now." She decided firmly, reaching out and taking Betty's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. Veronica was smiling brightly besides her mother, absolutely radiating pride and joy as she looked from Hermione to Betty.

Betty found herself speechless at Hermione's kindness, but slowly smiled and squeezed Hermione's hand back, nodding her head. "As long as I'm not a burden." She stated once more, although she quickly decided it was a good idea not to say it again around Hermione after the look she was give at the word "burden".

"You are anything but a burden Betty." Veronica assured her, kissing Betty's forehead. "However, if you don't finish your bacon soon, you're not going the option to, as it may or may not end up in my own belly." She said pointedly, eyeing the bacon still resting on Betty's face with a gaze that would make Jughead proud. This of course sent Betty and Hermione into fits of laughter, as Veronica not so slyly stole a piece of bacon from Betty's plate. As Betty began to eat her meal with more purpose, Veronica's phone buzzed in the pocket of her robe with an incoming text. She pulled it out to check while Betty and her mother talked softly together, Hermione commenting that she might have something to help Betty's split lip in the bathroom, and that she'd go get it after breakfast.

_** Unread text from: Archiekins  ** _

_** Veronica is Betty with you? She isn't answering any texts ( ** _ probably because her phone was still in Veronica's dresser drawer from last night) **. ** _** Is everything alright? I think her mom is having a mental breakdown, she's putting all of Betty's stuff on the front lawn in boxes. Cheryl is here too. Text me back ASAP ** _

Veronica's gasp after reading the text caught the attention of Betty and Hermione.

"V, is everything alright?" Betty asked, cocking her head slightly in curiosity and leaning forwards to be able to read the text for herself. She went pale as she did. She didn't expect this from her mother, and yet, at the same time, she did. Alice had pitched a fit when she found out Cheryl was her soulmate, ranting on and on about how her daughter couldn't be a lesbian. Cheryl, being as manipulative as ever, began kissing up to Alice from that moment on, with great success. From the way Alice began to rave about Cheryl you'd think she was her daughter, and Betty was the outsider. She never showed concern for Betty, even when she came home bruised and battered, but was always the first to ask what Betty'd done to Cheryl to cause her be so upset. Even though Betty never did anything to deserve being beaten other than exist, Alice would dote over Cheryl for the next few days, apologizing for her daughter's behavior. Honestly she should've seen being kicked out of the Cooper residence coming from a mile away. Even still, it hurt, to see how little her mother actually cared for her.

Betty sat there in silence along with Veronica who was sitting and staring at her, trying to figure out the best way to comfort her while Hermione took the phone and read the screen. Within seconds she was calling for Smithers, asking him to grab a van from the utility garage as they had to go pick up Betty's things. She didn't mention that they had to do so because her things had been tossed out like garbage. Hermione, just launching into action, texted Archie back from Veronica's phone to ask him to bring Betty's things inside to his house, and that they'd be arriving to pick them up shortly. All the while the soulmates just sat wordlessly in each other's comfort, Betty shifting closer to Veronica and Veronica wrapping her arm around Betty's shoulders. Hermione went on to gently tell Betty how she'd get an apartment set up for her, even though they all knew she'd be spending most of her time in the Lodge's apartment anyway. Betty was only half listening, and both Lodge women could tell. To be betrayed by family was a hardship they understood all too well.

* * *

Betty had made the decision to stay at the apartments while Hermione and Veronica went to gather her things. Neither one of them argued with the choice, and neither one had expected her to come with in the first place anyway. The entire drive Hermione was grumbling about how she couldn't imagine how anyone could do such a thing to someone as sweet as Betty, but Veronica's mind was set on one thing and one thing only.

Cheryl would be there, with Alice Cooper, and there was no force strong enough in this world to restrain her rage towards both of them.

When they first pulled up, Cheryl was nowhere to be found, but Alice was, putting another box of clothes on the sidewalk. Hermione walked straight past her to Archie's house, but Veronica made a B-line for the wretched woman.

"How can you do this?" She seethed, causing Alice to whip her head up from the box to meet her gaze. "How can you just throw your own daughter's things on the street like she means nothing to you, how can you betray your own blood?!" Alice said nothing as she straightened, merely pursed her lips and turned back towards her house. "Hey, I am talking to you!" Veronica snapped, reaching for Alice's wrist before a different voice broke the silence in the air and took priority.

"Maybe it's because her daughter is so disrespectful of her soulmate." Cheryl announced, stepping from the house with yet another box of Betty's things. Seeing Cheryl holding Betty's possessions made Veronica's blood boil, but not nearly as much as her words did. "After all, running off and claiming she's someone else's soulmate, a Lodge girl no less, after being my soulmate for what, five years now?" She chuckled in an all too sinister manner. "She had this coming. It's still a shame though, being thrown from your home. What a disgrace."

Veronica couldn't help but growl. "She's not fucking  _claiming_ anything, we are soulmates you ignorant bitch. Her mark is a gem, not a star, which matches my crown. Besides, like you ever once treated her as a soulmate. All she was to you was a toy, someone you could control and stomp all over. If anything you're the damn disgrace, and you know what, this was never her home. Betty's home now, with me, exactly where she should be. In the arms of someone who'll love and cherish her, instead of abuse her like you did." Veronica yanked the box from Cheryl's hands, loading it into the back of the van. She was practically shaking with anger, and was desperately trying to keep her calm. She knew Betty wouldn't want her to resort to violence, no matter how badly she wanted to sock Cheryl Blossom in the face during that moment. 

"Whatever you say. Betty's just a worthless whore. Before long she'll come crawling back to me, and we'll be right back to where we started. She'll have to learn her lesson though first." Screw the pacifist route. 

Veronica had whirled Cheryl around and pinned her against the side of the van before anyone could blink an eye. She had her forearm pressed against Cheryl's throat, pressing forcefully enough to have Cheryl looking more than a little bit concerned for the predicament she'd gotten herself into. She could hear Alice screaming bloody murder in the background, but her focus was Cheryl. "If you ever, ever, call Betty worthless, or any other demeaning thing again, I swear to god Cheryl Blossom, I'll kill you, and I'll enjoy every second of it." Hermione and Archie pulled Veronica off of her shortly after that, but not before Veronica got to see a flicker of fear in Cheryl's eyes. Of course once she was free she just scoffed, and started saying something else, but Veronica didn't stick around to listen. Instead she just got in the passenger's seat of the van and waited patiently for her mom to finish getting Betty's things packed up. She desperately needed to go be with Betty.

* * *

 

When they returned home, Veronica went straight to Betty, instantly engulfing her in a hug. She was trembling a little and Betty was instantly concerned. "Veronica? Ronnie are you okay? Baby, what happened?" Veronica had begun to sniffle, and just clutched her tighter. 

"I don't understand Betty. I don't understand how your mother and Cheryl are so fucking awful to you. You don't deserve it love, you've done nothing to ever deserve something life this except to be kind and caring and an amazing person." Veronica mumbled this all into Betty's neck, and a few tears trickled down Betty's cheeks as well.

"I've asked myself that so many times Veronica. And I still don't know why they treat me like they do. But now I have you, and you'll take care of me. I'll get my chance to be happy with you." Betty said, speaking slowly, as though she were speaking to herself as well. The damage done to her was severe, but she knew that now she had Ronnie in her life, and it would all be okay again. She just knew it. "You know we still have to tell Jughead and Archie. I think they'll probably throw you a parade just for not being Cheryl." This coaxed a laugh from Veronica, and she lifted her head away from Betty to stare at her.

"You're utterly perfect, you know that right?" Veronica asked in a hushed whisper, and Betty turned bright red.

"I know that I'm lucky to be your soulmate, and that must make me perfect. Only the best for the Highness." She joked, and Veronica rolled her eyes, kissing her gently. 

"You are, without a doubt, the best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how much I like this chapter, but at least we got a Cheryl smackdown out of it. I'm going to continue for at least one or two more chapters, but updates might be a little slower. Or they could be exactly the same speed. IDK. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning to school isn’t the most pleasant of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it’s been a long fucking time since I updated this XD. But inspiration has struck, and here we are once more!
> 
> Of course now that I feel differently about Cheryl and know she’s just a smol bean that deserves happiness I feel bad about writing her as such a heinous villain but… it’s too late now so just buckle up and enjoy the ride!
> 
> Also, it’s very important that I mention there will be references to revenge porn and past sexual abuse at the end of this chapter. I’ve updated the tags to reflect as such, but if this is something that effects you as a reader, just know that as soon as they mention sticky maples in this chapter bail out.

It was a full week before Betty went back to school. Hermione was the one to call the school and dare them to mess with her by questioning Betty’s absence, so needless to say there was no problem on that end. Veronica still attended school that week, much to her dismay at leaving Betty, but she was able to bring home Betty’s assignments from class which made bargaining with the school easier, and anything that would make Betty’s life easier Veronica would do with little fight. 

Archie and Jughead came over some time during the middle of the week, after Betty assuring Veronica time and time again that she was ready to explain it all to them. It was Archie and Jughead who weren’t prepared for the shape Betty was in. While her injuries were healing, she still wasn’t at her best, and upon seeing her, Jughead had to restrain himself from crying while Archie left the room flat out, crying unabashedly and punching a wall in the hallway (Smither’s wasn’t thrilled to find a slight indent in the wall once the boys had left, but given the circumstances he was willing to forgive) before returning to the room. Once Betty had assured them that she wasn’t in any pain now, both boys were ecstatic to hear Cheryl wasn’t Betty’s soulmate after all. They were even more over the moon to hear that Veronica indeed was, and the whole event ended in a dogpile of hugs on the bed, though Veronica was quick to make sure Betty wasn’t being crushed too harshly in the boys’ excitement. 

“That went smoothly.” Veronica teased once the boys had left, cuddling up to Betty’s side and wrapping her arms around her waist. It was clear that it had taken a lot out of Betty, retelling the events of the past few days, but there was also a content aura to her, finally having the weight of having to tell the two of most important people in her life (other than Polly, Kevin, and Veronica of course) lifted from her chest.

”I really think it did.” Betty hummed in approval, kissing Veronica’s head and putting an arm around her shoulder. After a moment of silence, Betty mustered her courage and took a deep breath. “I want to go back to school V.” She whispered, and Veronica shot upright to look at her. “I can’t stay here and hide from Cheryl forever, even if it is tempting and even if your mom is a wonderfully gracious host while you’re away.” That last part drew a soft chuckle from both girls, and Veronica hesitantly nodded. 

“Of course. I’ll have Mom call the school tomorrow to let them know you’re coming back.” Veronica’s heart was beating hard in her chest. Betty back in school meant a possibilty for confrontation with Cheryl, and Veronica wasn’t sure how kindly the school would take to her committing homocide in their hallways, but if Betty wanted to come back, she’d do her damndest to support her.

Sensing her nerves, Betty took her hands and smiled gently at Veronica. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry. I’ll have you with me this time around.” She whispered, and Veronica felt her heart flutter.

“You’ll always have me, now and forever. I promise.” 

* * *

 

Everything goes as well as can be expected until the end of the school day.

Sure there were some stares and some whispers, but the second Betty and Veronica walked into the school, Archie, Jughead, Kevin, Josie, Valerie, Melody, hell even Ethel and Reggie are by their sides, practically acting as their own personal secret service as they shielded the two from the stares. It was like an unspoken agreement, that they wouldn’t let anybody fuck with the soulmates in the hallways, at least not when they were around the help it. They also all respectively pretended not to see the tears of appreciation that sprung into both Betty’s and Veronica’s eyes.

But of course, all good things must come to an end, and once the secret service posse had said their goodbyes for the end of the day, thinking their mission was accomplished, Veronica felt Betty ripped from her side and turned to see that Cheryl had grabbed her and spun her around to face her, kissing her passionately. Veronica’s blood boiled, but before she could do anything, Betty shoved Cheryl away from her, wiped her mouth in disgust, and slapped her.

Everyone was stunned, Veronica, Cheryl, even Betty herself, but she quickly recovered. “I don’t want to see you ever again Cheryl. I don’t want you touching me anymore, I’m not yours to hurt anymore, do you understand me?” Betty’s voice was trembling, but there was still a ferocity in her words that had Veronica’s heart soaring high in pride. Cheryl on the other hand, looked more than pissed off. 

“You think you can just tell me what to do like that? You think you’ve got a fucking say in my actions?” She seethed, glaring at Betty so harshly that Betty shrunk back against Veronica, looking at her in a panic. That’s when Veronica took action, stepping in front of Betty and holding her hand comfortingly.

”You heard her Cheryl Bombshell. Run along now.” She growled, meeting her glare with one of her own, matching its fire. They stayed like that for a while, staring each other down before Cheryl smiled in a sickeningly sweet way.

”Fine. So be it. You win Cooper.” She said, effectively confusing both Veronica and Betty. It was that easy? Surely not. “But watch your fucking back, because I’m sure as hell not through with you.” She finished with a sneer, and Veronica made the decision to simply walk away, Betty in tow, with her heart beating out of her chest. 

Betty was practically shaking with adrenaline and a little bit of fear, but Veronica chose to focus on the good. Betty stood her ground to Cheryl, and that’s something that deserved recognition. Veronica gently tilted Betty’s towards her, and kissed her warmly. 

“Come on. Milkshakes at Pop’s on me for making Cheryl turn that shade of red.” Veronica joked lightly, and succeeded in making Betty grin with a chuckle. 

“Deal.”

* * *

 “Betty? What’s a sticky maple?” Veronica asked, scrunching her nose at the unfamiliar term. The girls were lounging on the couch in the living room after having returned from Pop’s, when Veronica got a notification on her phone from Twitter.

Betty flushed at the term, and immediately came to Veronica’s side, peering down at her phone with her. “What? Why do you ask?” She asked quickly, fear laced in her voice.

“Cheryl just posted a link to something called… ‘Girl Next Door gets a Sticky Maple’ on Twitter? Sounds like a fucking porno.” Veronica joked lightly, although confusion and skepticism were clear in her tone. She didn’t trust Cheryl for a minute, but curiosity had her clicking the link before Betty could react.

“No, don’t!”

Instantly a video of Betty popped up on Veronica’s phone screen. She was blushing a scarlet red and looked completely uncomfortable, sitting on a kitchen countertop being filmed by someone. The most shocking part of the video, was that Betty was topless and in her underwear. Veronica’s breath hitched at the sight, and she jerked her head up to look at Betty. Silent tears were running down her soulmate’s face, and her head was lowered in shame, refusing to meet Veronica’s gaze. 

“Betty…” She whispered, barely even audible, but before she could continue someone, Cheryl, began talking on the video.

” _Relax Betts_ ,” Cheryl crooned on the video, and a hand reached out from behind the camera in order to stroke Betty’s cheek. It was obvious that it was taking everything in Betty’s power not to jerk her face away from the touch, and Veronica could see her curling her nails into her palms in the video. “ _You really are such a prude, aren’t you? Nobody’s going to see, this is just for us_.” The emphasis put on the word _us_ was almost cynical, and it was clear that Cheryl was deriving more pleasure from the situation than Betty was. Nonetheless there was some shifting from behind the camera, while it was being placed on a tripod, then Cheryl herself was on screen, fully clothed, with a bottle of maple syrup in hand. Before Veronica could fully process what was happening, the bottle was uncapped, and Cheryl was pouring the syrup over Betty’s face and breasts. Disgust filled Veronica at the way Betty squirmed in discomfort in the video, and the way Cheryl simply laughed. “ _Such a dirty, dirty girl, hm?_ ” Cheryl taunted, before gathering some of the syrup from Betty’s face on her fingers. “ _Now for the real fun_.” The grin on Cheryl’s face that followed those words was something that would haunt Veronica’s mind forever, and as Cheryl moved the pull down Betty’s panties, the video cut off, plunging Veronica and Betty into silence. 

It had to have been a full minute before Veronica was able to pry her gaze away from her phone in order to look at Betty. 

Silent tears were streaming down Betty’s face, and her gaze was at the floor. Her fists were clenched and blood was running down her arm from how harshly she was digging her nails into her skin. “I begged her not to video it V. I begged her not to do it at all.” Betty’s voice was strained and wobbly, like every word was taking effort from her. “I’m so so sorry Veronica.” Was the last she could muster before she was over taken in sobs.

Instantly Veronica sprung back into action, scooping Betty into her arms and shushing her gently. “Why are you apologizing _mi amor_? There is no… no need to apologize.” She whispered, kissing Betty’s forehead gently and holding her tightly to her chest. Still, Betty was inconsolable, shaking and gasping for air as she sobbed. Veronica too began to cry at the sound of heartbreak in her soulmate’s cries, and when Betty pushed her away, refused to allow her to comfort her any longer, she dutifully rushed to the bathroom in order to grab a towel and some gauze for Betty’s hands. 

The entire time spent bandaging Betty’s palms was spent in silence save for the muffled cries of both girls. Once Veronica had finished wrapping the wounds, it was clear that Betty was exhausted, sobs reduced to sniffles, though she still refused to meet Veronica’s gaze. 

“I think I’m just… I think I’m just going to go to bed Ronnie.” Betty finally whispered, eyes flickering to her face for just a fraction of a second before hitting the ground again. It absolutely broke Veronica’s heart. Still, she nodded, and silently she stood, pressing a kiss to Betty’s forehead.

”Okay. I love you Betty. No matter what.” _No matter what._ They weren’t the right words, they didn’t convey the right meaning. It sounded like what parents might say to their child when they found out they were gay, when they weren’t open to the idea but had to say something for the sake of appearance. _No matter what_ , like something was wrong with Betty. It wasn’t the right thing to say but it was all Veronica could think of. So as Betty walked off, Veronica was left cursing herself for the stupid words.

As soon as Betty was out of sight Veronica ran to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet. 

_Revenge porn._ That’s what this was. Revenge porn, and sticky maples, and the whole world seeing Betty at her lowest. The thought made her feel the need to be sick once more. Why was Cheryl doing this still? Why couldn’t she just leave Betty alone? Betty didn’t deserve this, she didn’t deserve any of this. And Veronica was helpless to stop it. That was the kicker. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she loved Betty, no matter what she did, she couldn’t protect her from the demons that haunted her. 

A cry of anguish broke its way out of Veronica’s throat, and with a flood of emotions she punched the mirror, shattering it with a semi satisfying crash. Glass shards trickled down into the sink and onto the floor, one or two had embedded themselves into Veronica’s knuckles, but she didn’t care. What she cared about, was taking Cheryl Blossom down, and making her pay for ever hurting the love of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more I feel very heartless and very evil… but that’s what it’s all about being a writer! 
> 
> For anyone wondering how on earth I know what I sticky maple is, I strongly advise against looking it up in Urban Dictionary.
> 
> As usual I do not have a beta reader, so all mistakes are mine.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, I just wanted to point out that Polly and Jason never dated, and that Jason died in a car crash rather than the whole murder drama.
> 
> That being said, on with the show!

_You’re a whore Betty. You know it, Cheryl knows it, and now the whole world and Veronica knows it too._

Betty was pacing in the bedroom, tears still flowing freely now that she was alone. Thankfully she couldn’t cut her palms anymore due to the bandages blocking the path of her nails, but boy did she want to. Anything to distract her from the thoughts swirling in her mind. 

_You don’t deserve Veronica. Veronica probably doesn’t want you anymore anyway. Who’d want a soulmate as broken and vile as you? Surely Veronica is downstairs thinking up a way to kindly tell you to get the fuck out of her house._

The thought of Veronica not wanting her anymore tore a sob of hurt from Betty, and she shook her head to try to clear away the thoughts.

_No. No, Veronica loves me. She makes me feel so safe, so warm and happy. The way she smiles at me for every little thing I do. She loves me, maybe she can forgive me for this._

In the very back of Betty’s mind, the logical side of her pointed out that she really hadn’t done anything that needed forgiveness, she hadn’t actually done anything wrong, but that voice was squashed down and out voted by the thoughts of self deprecation swirling at the forefront of her mind. This _was_ her fault, she could’ve tried harder to stop Cheryl, she should’ve stood up for herself and demanded Cheryl treat her better. If she had, Veronica wouldn’t be stuck with such a fuck up of a soulmate.

That thought alone was enough to drive her crazy. The thought that maybe she’d robbed Veronica of a worthier soulmate. One who didn’t come with all this baggage and drama. One who wouldn’t need to be woken up in the middle of the night from nightmares. One who didn’t have a crazy ex spreading sex tapes around.

_She must hate you for that. Hate you for depriving her of some wonderful soulmate. Instead she’s stuck with you. A worthless, vile, broken, coward. She must absolutely loathe you._

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Merely entertaining the idea that Veronica secretly couldn’t stand her sent Betty spiraling into a panic attack. She began to breathe more rapidly, the room spinning slightly and things becoming more disoriented in her vision. Things continued to get foggier and less focused until she shot her hand out to grasp at Veronica’s vanity, knocking over a bottle of perfume and shattering it in her efforts to steady herself. Black spots were swarming in her vision, and she barely noticed Veronica burst into the room after hearing the bottle break. 

“Betty? Betty, what’s wrong?!” She exclaimed, panic lacing her voice as she rushed over just as Betty fell to her knees, gasping for air. Veronica instantly grasped Betty’s arms and pulled her closer. She placed Betty’s hand on her chest so that she could feel Veronica’s heartbeat. “Breathe with me Betty. It’s okay, just breathe with me. Everything is going to be fine.” 

Trembling, Betty nodded, trying desperately to focus on Veronica’s heartbeat and to sync her breathing with hers. 

After a few minutes, it worked, and Betty was slowly able to breathe again, though visibly exhausted from the strain on her body. She sunk into Veronica’s embrace, still catching her breath slightly, and tried her hardest to smile up at Veronica. She was greeted with a look of genuine concern on Veronica’s point. 

“What was that all about B?” She asked gently, taking Betty’s hand in her own and rubbing soothing circles into the top of it. “What triggered that?” She rephrased, not wanting to sound accusatory. Seeing Betty like that, so distraught and vulnerable, that was just another punch to the gut in an evening when Veronica’s already been knocked down. 

Betty blushed instantly and sheepishly looked away. “I was worried that… I mean I just feel like…” She started, stumbling over her words before sighing and beginning again. “You deserve so much better than me Veronica. You deserve someone that you don’t have to worry about, someone that you don’t have to rush in a save from panic attacks.” She gestured to their current situation as proof. “How do you not hate me? I’ve taken away your chance of having a normal soulmate. A normal life. Now you’re… stuck with me.” She finished with a whimper, and refused to meet Veronica’s gaze.

If she had, she would’ve seen silent tears streaming down Veronica’s face once more. After a moment of silence, Betty slowly looked up, fearing the worse, only to have her lips captured as Veronica kissed her passionately. She eagerly reciprocated the kiss, a sigh of content escaping her as she did. She sat up slightly and wrapped her arms around Veronica.

Once they both broke away for air, Veronica was staring at her with an intensity that almost made her nervous:

”Elizabeth Cooper, I love you with all of my heart. You are my soulmate because you are who I’m meant to be with, understand me? _You_. You’re not taking anything away from me _mi amor_ , you are everything I’ve ever wanted, ever needed. I could never, and would never hate you. You, Betty, are the love of my life.”

Betty choked on a sob once more, but this time out of happiness and relief. She nodded and moved to kiss Veronica again, before simply resting her forehead against hers.

“I love you too, V.” She whispered, before stifling a yawn. She was physically and emotionally exhausted from the day, and well aware of it, but had no intentions of leaving Veronica’s embrace. Veronica noticed this, and laughed softly. 

“You should get some rest mi amor. I’ll have Smithers order some dinner and wake you when it’s time to eat.” She whispered, delivering a quick kiss to Betty’s forehead before standing slowly much to Betty’s protest.

She glared at her playfully, opening her mouth to argue before another yawn overcame her and she pouted cutely. “Fine.” She muttered in defeat, climbing into the bed. As soon as she laid down sleep was tugging at her, eyes fighting to stay open. “Thank you Veronica. For everything.” She murmured, and Veronica smiled at her as she turned off the light and stepped into the hall.

That smile faded from her lips as soon as she stepped into the hall. There was no way in hell Cheryl was going to get away with this. That was a promise. But first things had to come first, and right now Veronica’s main focus was getting that video down off the internet.

* * *

Cheryl was exactly where Veronica thought she would be, proudly sitting in middle of Pop’s, laying in wait. She’d known that Veronica or Betty would show up at Pop’s sooner or later, it was their spot after all, and she was ready to see the effect of her actions. She hadn’t been ready to see Veronica without Betty though, hadn’t realized that Veronica could tell her plan. She certainly wasn’t ready for Veronica barging right up to her table and slamming her fist down with a bang loud enough to startle everyone in the diner. 

“Take it down Cheryl.” She seethed, fury in her eyes. “Take that video down. Off Twitter, off your computer, scrap it off the face of this Earth or you’ll have even more hell to pay than you already do.” It was clear Veronica’s threat made Cheryl the slightest bit uncomfortable, as she shifted in her seat, but seeing Veronica this mad, this affected by her actions, it fueled her all the same. 

“Now why would I do that?” Cheryl practically purred, smirking at Veronica. “You should really be thanking me, Ronnie dear. I was merely letting you know that Betty isn’t as pure as you think she is. She’s not the perfect girl next door, she’s been around the block before, that’s for sure. Although I do have to admit, she’s a pretty good lay. _Very_ responsive.” 

By the time she finished Veronica was shaking with rage. “You raped her Cheryl. This isn’t her fault, she didn’t want any of this. You did all of this without her consent, you raped her you sick fuck now take the video down!” At this point Veronica was shouting, and there were murmurs going through the store. All the attention had Cheryl glowing. This was exactly what she wanted. 

“It’s not rape if she wants it. And I think she did. Trust me, she had her fair share of orgasms during her time with me. How could she not? I’m fantastic. And Betty is really quite the screamer in bed.” Cheryl added, trying to push Veronica’s buttons, and boy was it working. 

Veronica knew that it was biology that Betty’s body reacted to what Cheryl did to her, knew that it had nothing to do with want to enjoyment but was purely instinctual, but hearing Cheryl say it, hearing her use it again Betty despite Betty having no way to control it… it snapped something in her and she moved to grab Cheryl by the throat and choke the life out of her before someone caught her arm and yanked her back.

When she jerked her head back to yell at whoever dared to stop her, all anger vanished, replaced with confusion and a touch of embarrassment.

“She’s not worth it Veronica. Betty needs you, just walk away.” Polly said, looking equally as furious and disgusted with Cheryl as Veronica was, but understanding the consequences Veronica would face if she attacked Cheryl in a room full of witnesses. “C’mon Ronnie, let’s just get out of here.”

And much to Cheryl’s shock, Veronica listened to Polly, following her out of the diner and into her car even if her blood was still boiling. But Polly had reminded her that Betty needed her, and that she couldn’t protect her from behind prison bars. She maintained this composure up until the minute she was in Polly’s car, when she screamed in rage and defeat before crying on Polly’s shoulder. 

Polly shushed her and she patted Veronica’s back, trying not to cry herself. “It’s okay, it’s alright. I’m going to help you take her down.”

That got Veronica’s attention, and she straightened to look Polly in the eye. “Go on…” She said softly, giving Polly her full attention.

Polly nodded and bit her lip. “I used to be pretty close friends with Cheryl’s brother, Jason. He died in a car crash about a year ago, but they’d been super close with each other. Jason wasn’t anything like Cheryl, he wasn’t manipulative or… abusive, but he was like Cheryl’s everything. The only person she could ever really count on. I know that after Jason died Cheryl started beating on Betty more often… I remember all the times Betty would come home bruised and I did nothing. I was such a horrible sister…” Polly took a deep breath in, voice shaking as she paused. “I should’ve done something then, and I’ll try my best to do something now.” She affirmed, more to herself than to Veronica before continuing. “Cheryl was always really clingy to Jason. Like, in an odd way. A lot of people in town noticed, and I’m sure it’s a sore spot for Cheryl… I don’t, I don’t condone hurting others Veronica. I don’t want to sink to her level, but she has to pay for hurting Betty, I know that, and I think this is the way to do it.” 

By the time Polly had finished, Veronica was staring at her speechlessly. “So… you’re proposing that I excuse Cheryl of incest with her dead brother?” She clarified, and Polly blushed, but sheepishly nodded all the same.

”That’s about right, yeah.”

Veronica took a shaky breath, nodding in determination. “Okay then. But before we do this… I think Betty would really like to see you Polly.”

Polly bit her lip, and looked down at her lap. “I should’ve kept her safe Veronica. She’s my little sister, I should’ve protected her, or just done something! I knew she was being abused, but just like the rest of the town I just sat back and let it happen. And now this… now she has to deal with this video floating around… I don’t know if seeing me will help. I think I’ll just be a reminder of how this could’ve been stopped sooner but never was.” 

Veronica took Polly’s hand and gently squeezed it. “Okay. But I know she does want you, so whenever you’re ready, the doors to the Pembrooke are always open.” She said softly, to which Polly smiled appreciatively. 

“Thanks V.” She whispered. “I’ll drive you home at least. You should be with Betty. You really help her. She talked about you nonstop when you first came to town. Still does.” She said, trying to lighten the mood. 

Veronica smiled brightly at that, and nodded. “Thanks Polly. For everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, please let me know if there’s anything you want to see or any improvements you think I should make.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this probably wasn't the best, it's definitely lacking dialogue for one thing, but it's my first fic on the site and I just loved the idea.  
> And for anyone wondering how the hell you confuse a star with a jewel, here's what I was kind of picturing as Betty's mark, if you use your imagination a bit.
> 
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/66/3b/d6/663bd6a58e3e01091231fdc6343b1134.jpg


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